BETRAYAL LOVE (COMPLETED)

2. Girls Are Gold Digger

Third Person's POV:

Natasha and Josh strode into the conference hall, but Josh's demeanor had shifted since their earlier interaction. Natasha couldn't help but chuckle at the change. "I don't get it. Why the sudden switch to brooding mode whenever we step out into the real world?" she teased between laughs.

"Why should I treat everyone else like I treat you? Although, if you prefer, I can give it a shot," Josh replied, flashing a mischievous wink.

"Good morning, sir. Good morning, Natasha," Ivan greeted them, Josh's personal assistant.

"It's 'ma'am' for you," Natasha corrected with a hint of irritation.

"Right. Good morning, ma'am," Ivan muttered, his tone tinged with disappointment. Natasha was well aware of Ivan's feelings for her, and it grated on her nerves to see someone beneath her station harboring such sentiments.

"If you two are quite finished, we can proceed inside," Josh interjected, motioning for them to enter.

As Josh and Natasha took their seats in the conference hall, they were met with polite greetings from the assembled reporters.

"Good morning. I have a question for Mr. Josh Hudson. Given your rapid ascent to CEO following your father's passing and the subsequent success of your company, what do you attribute your achievements to?" inquired one of the reporters.

"Hard work, passion, anger, self-confidence, selfishness, and a collection of haunting memories from my childhood," Josh responded cryptically, piquing the curiosity of everyone present.

"What about your dad? Surely he must have been a source of encouragement when he was alive," another reporter inquired.

"Dad? Oh, right. Frankly, I never felt his presence in my life. He seemed more preoccupied with enjoying himself than being a father," Josh admitted with a touch of bitterness.

"We've heard that your rival company posed a formidable challenge this time around, yet your company emerged on top. How did it feel to achieve such success?" another reporter probed.

"It was just another expected outcome," Josh replied nonchalantly.

"Mr. Josh, would you mind if we asked you some personal questions?" a female reporter interjected, her curiosity palpable.

"Of course, fire away," Natasha eagerly chimed in before Josh could respond.

"Can you divulge anything about your personal life? Many people, especially the ladies, are keen to know if there's a special someone in your life," the lady reporter blushed as she posed the question.

"It seems you're particularly eager. Well, I'll be blunt. I don't believe in love or any of that nonsense. Love is nothing but a mirage for boys and a gold-digging scheme for girls. I detest the very notion of love because it's nothing but a hollow facade that has cost me dearly," Josh spoke with a heavy heart, memories of the past weighing on his mind.

"Does that mean someone broke your heart by betraying you?" the same lady reporter pressed on.

"Impossible. Josh Hudson is no fool to allow someone the satisfaction of breaking him," Josh retorted proudly, his resolve unyielding.

"There's a persistent rumor that you and your best friend Natasha Johansson are an item, given how often you're seen together. Care to address that?" another reporter inquired, eyes darting between Josh and Natasha. Josh burst into laughter as if the question were the punchline to a joke, while Natasha shot him a piercing glare.

"Natasha is my friend because, like me, she hails from a wealthy family. She's not like those other girls who are after my fortune. I value her friendship, nothing more. Any speculation beyond that is just people's misguided assumptions," Josh dismissed, oblivious to the sting his words inflicted upon Natasha.

"You seem to be insinuating that girls who aren't born into wealth, like Miss Natasha Johansson, are nothing but gold diggers. That's a rather narrow-minded perspective, Mr. Josh. Just because someone lacks wealth doesn't make them any less deserving of respect," an elderly female reporter retorted, her tone tinged with indignation.

Josh's attention was caught by the reporter's words, igniting a spark of anger within him. "Indeed, that's precisely what I'm saying. And what are you going to do about it? As far as I'm concerned, those girls are only good for one thing which is providing me with pleasure between the sheets. And if you happen to have a daughter, feel free to send her my way if you're short on cash," Josh quipped with a twisted sense of amusement, relishing in the discomfort evident on the reporter's face.

"Josh, stop it. This is a live conference. Have you forgotten?" Natasha whispered urgently, but Josh seemed indifferent to the situation.

"Women are nothing but gold diggers. All they care about is money. They don't give a damn about love, their partners, or even their own children when they're blinded by greed," Josh seethed, his jaw clenched with anger. With that, he abruptly stormed out of the conference hall before the event was over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avani's POV:

As I busied myself making breakfast in the kitchen, a jarring voice from the TV caught my attention. It was a man's voice, boldly declaring that women were nothing more than gold diggers, solely interested in money and material possessions.

"How could someone hold such a vile opinion about women?" I mused to myself, a mixture of disbelief and frustration clouding my thoughts.

"Who's saying such awful things? How dare he insult women like that?" I strode closer to the TV, addressing Dixxi, who was engrossed in the program with the volume turned up.

"It's too late now. He's already stormed off from the conference. You missed it, sweetheart," Dixxi replied, swiftly changing the channel to something less inflammatory.

"It doesn't matter who he is; why is he insulting women with his crude remarks?" I exclaimed, my anger evident in my expression.

"It doesn't matter at all. You know, I feel incredibly lucky to have witnessed him live on TV. It just made my morning even more enchanting. You only heard his words, but if you had seen him, you might have been as captivated as I was by his ocean-blue eyes, framed by those long lashes. Honestly, I barely even registered what he was saying because his seductive, commanding voice was like music to my ears," Dixxi replied, completely unfazed by my concerns.

"Dixxi, are you serious? He was spewing nonsense, and I could hear it from the kitchen! How can you be so oblivious to how disgustingly he was talking?" I retorted, my glare intensifying.

"Oh, wow! No wonder I felt like his anger suited him so well. But he did look exceptionally handsome today," Dixxi confessed, getting lost in her own thoughts.

"He was saying that women are gold diggers who only care about money. He even went as far as to say that poor girls are only good for his bed," I recounted, feeling a wave of revulsion at the memory.

"That's terrible. But unfortunately, there's not much we can do about it. After all, he's Josh Hudson, one of the city's most famous billionaires. He can say whatever he pleases. Don't take his words too seriously. This billionaire just craves attention," Dixxi reasoned, with a hint of resignation in her voice.

"But he meant every word he said," I insisted, recalling the man's offensive remarks.

"Don't let it bother you. There's nothing we can do about it. Besides, we're arguing over something trivial. Let's just finish our breakfast," Dixxi suggested, retreating to the kitchen.

As I joined her, I couldn't help but wonder why I was allowing the words of a stranger to affect me so deeply.

"Where are you lost now?" I inquired, noticing Dixxi's absent-mindedness as she picked at her food.

"Avani, he was just so... irresistible. I can't get him out of my head," Dixxi confessed, her voice tinged with excitement.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, perplexed, as I had no idea she was referring to the repulsive man with his vile words from earlier.

"The man who managed to infuriate you on this lovely morning," Dixxi replied dramatically.

I felt a surge of irritation seeing Dixxi still fixated on that despicable man's image.

"I'm finished with breakfast. I'm heading to the bakery. And if you're done indulging in your fantasy, you should get to work too. Bye," I announced tersely, exiting the house and leaving Dixxi lost in her thoughts.